Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and National Congress Party (NCP) Chief, has announced that his party will contest the upcoming local body elections independently. This decision marks a significant shift as the NCP had previously aligned with the Mahayuti coalition for the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections.
Pawar emphasised that each party in the coalition will leverage its strengths in the local body elections. He urged party workers in various municipal bodies, including Mahanagar Palika, Nagar Palika, Zila Parishad, and taluka Panchayat, to begin their preparations and actively promote government schemes among the public.
Recently, several NCP leaders and corporators returned to the Sharad Pawar camp after resigning from the Ajit Pawar faction on July 17. Among those who rejoined Sharad Pawar's faction was Ajit Gavhane, the former NCP’s Pimpri-Chinchwad unit chief, who made the switch at Sharad Pawar's residence in Pune.
Supriya Sule, the working president of the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), praised Sharad Pawar for his long-standing commitment to development in Maharashtra and at the national level. She highlighted that even members of the opposition hold him in high regard, reflecting his significant influence and reputation.
The split within the NCP occurred last year when Ajit Pawar led a group of MLAs to join the ruling BJP government led by Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena. This division has led to various realignments and strategic decisions within the party.
In the previous Lok Sabha elections, the NCP managed to secure only one out of the four seats it contested, while the NCP-SP alliance won eight out of ten seats. The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, collectively won 17 seats in Maharashtra, with the BJP securing nine and the Shiv Sena seven.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently criticised Sharad Pawar, accusing him of institutionalising corruption in Indian politics. Speaking at a BJP conclave in Pune, Shah accused Pawar of being the "biggest mastermind of corruption" and questioned the opposition's accusations against the BJP.
As the political landscape in Maharashtra evolves, Ajit Pawar's decision to go solo in the local body elections marks a pivotal moment for the NCP. This move is likely to influence the party's strategy and positioning in the state's political arena, potentially impacting the dynamics of upcoming elections and alliances.
The focus now shifts to how the NCP and its workers will mobilise and campaign in the local body elections, and the responses from other political players in the state.
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